Wednesday, October 24, 2012

What do pomegranates and bone marrow have in common?

Today after my Modernism class (around 3 pm) i decided to go study for thursday's lesson ahead of time, as i was heading towards the library i saw an empty table right by the fountain so i decided to change my routine and read outside while enjoying the whether. Not long after, this guy with ironed caky pants, tucked-in collar shirt, and very combed slicked back hair asked me if he could sit next to me. He explained how my table was the only one around with shading, so i smiled and said "of course." Not going to lie, it was a little creepy at first. I mean who does that? who comes up to a stranger and asks to sit with them? there's absolutely nothing wrong with that but we have such individualistic minds that these kinds of behaviors seem so out of norm. So I introduced myself, we shook hands "My name is Jacob, nice to meet you" he said, I smiled. I had a lot of reading to do so i went back to studying. However, in the corner of my eye i saw him pealing a fruit, i wasn't sure what fruit it was. He places the fruit on the table and when i looked up i asked him what it was... "a pomegranate" he said. "We always encounter this fruit as a fluid" he offered a piece and i took it, it was really good! "It's a strange fruit to consume, if you cut it with a knife the juice comes out so you have to be really careful, it teaches you patience" he said. As i kept reading and enjoying this unknown company, i saw that he was getting messier and messier with the fruit and got some on my stuff, which i was okay with, it was barely anything. He insisted on cleaning it and even though i said that it was fine he went to the library's bathroom for some paper towels and that's when i took the chance to take this photo:


As simple and odd as this encounter may sound, it really changed the direction of my day. I felt as if that was the most intimate experience i've had with someone completely foreign to me. had a different perspective on strangers and what encounters may happen by simply asking to sit next to someone. I almost feel as if this gesture gave me confidence to break out of the whole "I'm new" bubble. This entire semester i've felt so not in my comfort zone, so out of place sometimes that it bothers me because i know myself, and how gregarious i can be. I mean yes, i've made new friends but they're not friends, friends they're more like acquaintances. There really isn't much between